Golf Travel News January 30, 2021
In the news this week in golf travel are some great deals for GolfBlogger readers:
Shoulder season deals at Pinehurst, including stays at the famous Carolina Hotel.
Stay and play deals at Cherokee Valley in South Carolina and Rumbling Bald in North Carolina.
Also, news from other places:
Myrtle Beach Preseason Classic sells out, but golfers can still plan for the Fall Classic and World Amateur Handicap Championships at Myrtle Beach.
Lawnstarter ranks the best and worst American cities for golf.
Instructors from three of Americas’ top golf resorts offer advice on staying fit and healthy in an offseason in the middle of a Pandemic.
Pinehurst Resort Donald Ross Package “Evergreen” Rates
The shoulder season is a great time to visit the North Carolina Sandhills and Pinehurst Resort. The USGA’s new second home is the setting for its famed No. 2 Course, recently minted as a U.S. Open “Anchor Site” starting with the 2024 edition.
From a golf consumer standpoint, February presents an extended, value-laden period (potential frost delays notwithstanding). Rates on golf packages like the ever-popular Donald Ross drop about 50% next month and go up around 15% starting March 1.
You can book a two-night stay in the Carolina Hotel three rounds of golf on any of the resort’s nine golf courses and enjoy Pinehurst’s famous Southern breakfast and a three-course dinner each night starting at $713. There’s a surcharge for playing No. 2, but if you’re on a budget and want to stick to the package as is, you can still enjoy premium tracks like No. 4, No. 8 and No. 9.
For more information, visit www.pinehurst.com
Cherokee Valley Course and Club Announces Stay-and-Plays
Cherokee Valley Course and Club, Upstate South Carolina’s premier family club and mountain golf destination, has released its golf packages for 2021 featuring stay-and-plays at its charming onsite cottages and the historic Westin Poinsett in downtown Greenville.
Cherokee Valley’s cottage collection features three elegantly appointed homes right on the golf course. Each is equipped with four bed-and-bath suites to provide plenty of privacy and ample room. The cottages afford a relaxing atmosphere with panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Rates start at $130 a night for one room with one bed and range up to $600 for a four-bedroom cottage with two beds per room.
A round of golf on Cherokee’s P.B. Dye-designed mountain-style layout can be added for $33 on weekdays (Mon. – Thurs.), $43 on weekends (Fri. – Sun.) or $60 for “all you can play,” subject to availability.
Packages at the Westin Poinsett feature a 350-square-foot guest room with one king or two queen beds, 42-inch flat screen, mini-fridge, 24-hour Westin Workout Fitness Studio and a round of golf with cart. Rates vary by season and can be obtained via the Partners Page.
For more information visit www.cherokeevalleyclub.com.
Rumbling Bald Readies for Spring with New Golf Packages
Rumbling Bald, the 36-hole golf resort on North Carolina’s stunning Lake Lure, has rolled out its golf packages for 2021, customized for golf groups of any size, and ideal for weekend or weekday buddy trips.
Starting at $345 per person, the resort’s “Hole-in-One” package features a two-night stay, two rounds of golf on the Apple Valley and Bald Mountain courses, breakfast both days and complimentary, unlimited range balls. Lodging options include the recently updated Apple Valley Studios and two- and four-bedroom Fairway Villas.
Paying homage to the 2021 Ryder Cup at Destination Kohler, the Ryder Cup Package starts at $589 per person and includes: three nights lodging; three rounds of golf scored and handicapped; complimentary replays on either course; a team shirt and resort hat; private, one-hour opening reception with wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres included as well as unlimited use of the practice facilities.
Apple Valley, designed by Dan Maples, reopened in Sept. 2020 with new Champion Bermuda greens.
For more information, visit www.rumblingbald.com.
Sold-Out Field Of 300 Golfers Prepare To Tee-Off In Myrtle Beach Preseason Classic
Seventh Annual Event Delivers Value, Good Times For Players
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The seventh annual Myrtle Beach Preseason Classic – sporting a sold-out field of 300 golfers – will be played February 1-3 on nine of the Grand Strand’s most popular courses.
This year’s field, which grew by 50 percent, is the largest in tournament history and will feature golfers from 22 states.
A 54-hole, two-man team event, the Preseason Classic will showcase a different format of play each day and players will be flighted based on their USGA handicap. Teams will play best ball in the opening round, followed by modified alternate shot and a Texas scramble.
The Love Course at Barefoot Resort, True Blue and Rivers Edge have all been ranked among the nation’s top 100 public courses and will lead a lineup that also includes Aberdeen, Arrowhead, River Club, Sandpiper Bay, Tradition Club and Wild Wing Avocet.
“Golf has offered a refuge from the Covid-19 pandemic, and I think that is reflected in the interest in this year’s Myrtle Beach Preseason Classic,” said Scott Tomasello, the tournament director for Golf Tourism Solutions, the event’s owner and operator. “We were able to safely and successfully host the World Amateur Handicap Championship and the Fall Classic over the final four months of 2020, and we look forward to welcoming players for the best Myrtle Beach Preseason Classic to date.”
For more information the Myrtle Beach Preseason Classic, visit PreseasonClassic.com.
About Golf Tourism Solutions
GTS provides a broad array of services, including email marketing, website design, social media and content production, targeting public and private clubs and real estate developments. With an email database that includes more than 700,000 addresses and an ever-growing social media presence, GTS has the assets of a large media company at its disposal.
GTS also has full responsibility for a thriving tournament division, headlined by the PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. The company runs eight events, including the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship, and brings more than 20,000 rounds of golf and room nights to Myrtle Beach.
For more information, go to www.GolfTourismSolutions.com.
The Best Cities For Golf In The US
What are the Best Cities for Golfers in the USA? Is your city up to par?
LawnStarter compared the 200 largest cities in the U.S. to find out which are the best for golfers. We evaluated eight key metrics, including number of courses, number of golf specialty stores, monthly precipitation, and average temperature.
So which U.S. cities are the best for duffers and golf pros alike? Here are the top 5 and bottom 5 golfing cities overall, followed by some highlights and lowlights.
The Best Golf Cities
| Rank | City |
| 1 | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 3 | New York, NY |
| 4 | Anaheim, CA |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ |
| 7 | Mesa, AZ |
| 8 | Gilbert, AZ |
| 9 | San Diego, CA |
| 10 | Glendale, CA |
The Worst Golf Cities
| Rank | City |
| 191 | Clarksville, TN |
| 192 | Columbus, GA |
| 193 | Montgomery, GA |
| 194 | Jackson, MS |
| 195 | Macon, GA |
| 196 | Metairie, LA |
| 197 | Huntsville, AL |
| 198 | Shreveport, LA |
| 199 | Springfield, MO |
| 200 | Mobile, AL |
Highlights and Lowlights:
- Sunny with a Chance of Birdies: Five of our top 10 Best Cities for Golfers are in Arizona, where rain is a rarity. California boasts three of the top 10 cities for golf, two of which are in the top five. Climate isn’t everything, though. New York City ranked third overall, but scored a bogey on climate, ranking 178th. That’s second-worst in the top 50, behind only Yonkers, New York.
- Drive for Show, Putt for Dough: Even on the most beautiful days, you can’t swing the sticks without a course, driving range, or practice facility. Of the top 20 cities on our list, only one ranked outside the top 50 for the number of golf courses. The number of practice facilities makes a difference on our list, too. Indoor and outdoor driving ranges are a haven for golf-hungry loopers.
- Sporting the Tools of the Trade: Unless you’re Roy McAvoy, you’ll need clubs to play golf. And balls. And shoes. And an extra pair of socks in case you get a hole-in-one. An abundance of golf stores means a strong community of golfers to support them. Even with the prevalence of online shopping, there’s still no substitute for a place where you can test drive your gear before you buy it.
- The Best of the Best Come to Town: Having a PGA Tour event brings a big boost to a city’s golfiness. For example, six of our top 10 cities for golfers host a PGA Tour event. For example, TPC Scottsdale is the home of the Tour’s rowdiest and most attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego hosts both the annual Farmers Insurance Open and the 2021 U.S. Open.
The full ranking and analysis can be found here: https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-for-golfers/
Expert Tips For A Mid-Pandemic Wellness Tune-Up
Don’t let winter weather keep you from exercising outdoors
Wayne Cowan, activities director at Whiteface Lodge, a mountain resort in the two-time Winter Olympics host town of Lake Placid, New York suggests:
- A cold-weather workout helps ease seasonal depression while offering great cardio benefits and higher calorie burn than exercising in warmer temperatures.
- Make it fun by trying something new, like snowshoeing or a winter hike. Snowshoeing in particular can burn about 500 calories an hour on average—twice as many as walking, and the higher leg lift it requires means it also might beat running.
- Warming up with a few stretches is crucial. Here are a few to optimize your snowshoeing or hiking adventure:
- Standing quad stretch. Standing up straight, bend your right leg up behind you and grab hold of your foot with your left hand. Count to 30, then lower your leg and repeat with the other for three repetitions.
- Forward bend: From a standing position, bend forward at your hips, keeping your legs straight as you lower your hands until they reach your ankles. Hold for 30 seconds to stretch your calves, hamstrings and hips. Repeat three times.
- Forward lunge: Elevate your left foot at least 12 inches, resting it on a stair, bench or even a large rock. Staying vertical and squaring your hips, extend your right leg behind you, squeezing your right glute, then reach your right arm overhead to deepen the stretch. Hold 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side for three repetitions.
Raise your (golf) game.
To help golfers keep primed for their return to the course, Laird Small, director of the Pebble Beach Golf Academy at Pebble Beach Resorts, offers these simple tips:
- Maintain rotational flexibility. The tension created in this exercise opens up the chest and can help add much needed rotation to your swing.
- Face a doorway.
- With your shoulders back, extend your right arm out (left arm if you’re left-handed) and place your hand flat against the door frame. It should be at shoulder height.
- Hold your hand in place and turn your upper body to the left (to the right if you’re left-handed). Your trail arm will stay behind you.
- Keep your head down. This exercise will train you to keep your body in position throughout your swing and keep your head down from back swing to follow-through.
- Fold a hand towel three to five times.
- Stand facing a wall and get into golf posture. You should be at least one foot from the wall.
- Lean forward and place your forehead against the wall, cushioned by the towel.
- Cross your arms over your chest, with the fingertips of each hand touching the opposite shoulder.
- Proceed to make turns back and forth, starting with your left shoulder down and your right shoulder up.
- Continue for 30 seconds to one minute while keeping the towel in place.
- Add width to your swing. A simple exercise like this will assist in arm extension and position you for the top of your back swing.
- Stand in the middle of a door frame.
- Take your golf posture.
- Reach for the top of the door jamb.
Share the gift of massage.
LaRae Verros, spa director at Scottsdale’s Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa, takes the intimidation out of at-home massage with “no-pressure” guidelines for novices:
- Communication is key. The partner receiving the massage should be comfortable asking for what they want and need and give positive reinforcement, while the partner giving the massage should ask for feedback and listen with an open mind. Bonus: The benefits of communicating better will last long after the massage ends.
- In particular, communicate about pressure. Not everyone enjoys the same amount of intensity in their massage, so be sure to give and accept feedback as you work together to find the perfect level of pressure.
- A massage table is great but not necessary, and the same goes for creating a quiet massage space. Instead, keep it flexible and fun—think snack, foot rub and a favorite TV show while you relax on your couch in your comfiest clothes.
- When it comes to massage technique, slower is better. Also, don’t overuse your thumbs. It’s not sustainable and your strength will burn out quickly.
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